Charlie Sheen hated this other sitcom by Two and a Half Men creator Chuck Lorre 

With the rising popularity of the sitcom Two and a Half Men, which was developed by Chuck Lorre, Charlie Sheen became a household name for TV show lovers. The show lasted for twelve seasons and went on to become CBS's biggest hit. Sheen portrayed Charlie Harper, a spoiled, free-wheeling jingle composer.

The success of the show revived Sheen's career after his previous film stardom in such films as Platoon and Wall Street. But the friendship between Sheen and Lorre later collapsed. Sheen was dismissed from Two and a Half Men in 2011 following various incidents, including attacking CBS and Chuck Lorre publicly.

Following his departure from the program, Sheen aimed his anger not only at Lorre and CBS but also at the other sitcom created by Lorre, The Big Bang Theory. While Sheen had made a guest appearance on the series in 2008, in 2013, his views had changed greatly.

In an interview with The Guardian, Sheen referred to The Big Bang Theory as "a piece of s--t," and blamed it for profiting from the success of Two and a Half Men. Conflicts aside, recent years have witnessed growing signs of harmony between Sheen and Lorre, particularly after their work on the 2023 Netflix series Bookie.

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The fallout between Two and a Half Men star Charlie Sheen and creator Chuck Lorre

Charlie Sheen starred on Two and a Half Men from 2003 to 2011. His role as Charlie Harper helped make the show a major success. But during the show’s eighth season, Sheen’s behavior became increasingly erratic. He entered rehab multiple times and publicly criticized both Lorre and CBS.

According to Deadline, Sheen was fired from the show in March 2011. He later claimed that he learned about his dismissal via a text message. In response to his firing, Sheen made several public statements expressing anger at the show's creators. Deadline quoted him as saying,

“These guys are such yellow cockroaches that they didn’t even have the decency to call me. I put 5 [billion] in their cheap suit pockets and another half a [billion] in what’s-his-cheese’s pockets and this is the f---ing respect I get?”

After Sheen’s departure, Two and a Half Men continued with Ashton Kutcher, who replaced him as the lead. Sheen did not return to the show, and his character was written off in the Season 9 premiere.

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Sheen's comments on The Big Bang Theory

Although Charlie Sheen made a cameo in The Big Bang Theory in multiple cameos, he later spoke negatively about the show. In a 2013 interview with The Guardian, Sheen stated that the popularity of Two and a Half Men contributed to The Big Bang Theory's success. He said,

“You gotta think about the shows that my show launched. I should have added in a clause that said anything that uses me as a lead-in, cut me in.”

Sheen went on to criticize The Big Bang Theory directly. He said,

“I’m sorry, but Big Bang Theory is a piece of s--t. It’s a stupid show and it’s just lame, about lame people.”

He added,

“I like the kids in it, but that show without us as a lead-in is... goodbye.”

Sheen also directed his comments toward Chuck Lorre. He referred to Lorre as “a bad man” and said,

“I’m rooting for those kids, because I know who they’re dealing with. The fact that they’re still sane is crazy.”

At the time of the interview, Sheen had no professional ties to Lorre or the show and made it clear that his comments were part of his broader anger toward his former collaborators.

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A reconciliation after years

Despite the years of public criticism, Charlie Sheen and Chuck Lorre eventually reconnected. In 2023, Lorre cast Sheen in his Netflix comedy series Bookie. According to Variety, Lorre said he initially had concerns about working with Sheen again but was encouraged by the actor’s behavior on set.

Lorre told Variety,

“I don’t want to be too mawkish about it, but it was healing. And he was also totally game to make fun of himself.”

He also said,

“When he came to the table read of that episode, I walked up, and we hugged. It was just great.”

By that time, Sheen had also acknowledged his past actions. In a 2021 interview with Yahoo Entertainment, he said,

“There was 55 different ways for me to handle that situation, and I chose number 56.”

He called his past behavior “desperately juvenile” and expressed regret over how he handled his exit from Two and a Half Men.

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The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men are both available to stream on Prime Video.